Rise
by QueensGambit
Summary: The years following Dent's death haven't been easy on Bruce and Makenna. However, Makenna has had enough and disappears in the early morning hours to send Bruce a message; one that she hopes he understands quickly and will come out of his reclusive shell. There will be consequences if Bruce doesn't act quickly. Sequel to We Own the Night.
1. Chapter 1

I know it has been a long wait, but I am happy to present to you the sequel to We Own the Night! I'm sorry it took so long to get published but my work schedule didn't want to cooperate. So here is the long awaited sequel!

Disclaimer: I only own Makenna.

~M~

* * *

It has been eight years since Harvey Dent was betrayed by the Batman, or so the people of Gotham believed. They also accused Batman's partner, Shadow, for having a hand in Harvey's death but her name slowly slipped from everyone's mind. They didn't know much about her to keep the blame on her especially since she only appeared for the first time eight years ago.

The years following Dent's death along with Rachel's caused Bruce Wayne to become a recluse much to his wife Makenna's chagrin. She tried to tell him everything was going to be okay and that Rachel would want him to move on, but he wouldn't listen. Slowly, the two began drifting apart and the only ones that knew were Makenna and Alfred. Bruce was too locked up to realize that he was pushing one of the last few people he had away. The morning before Dent's memorial everything changed for Bruce. He came out of his study and walked into the bedroom he shared with Makenna to see that all of her things were gone. The only items she left behind were her wedding rings.

"Alfred!" Bruce shouted.

"Yes, Master Bruce?"

"Where's Makenna?"

Bruce turned toward Alfred when he didn't answer. His friend and butler quickly composed himself and cleared his throat.

"I don't know sir. She must have slipped out when I was getting ready. I'm sorry." He replied. However, he knew where she went and why but she had sworn him to secrecy until the time was right.

The two continued on with their lives until the night of Harvey Dent Day at the mansion. Bruce stood at the top of the mansion as he surveyed the crowd hoping to see a familiar face as the Mayor began his speech. Bruce didn't listen as he continued to search the crowd for Makenna, but he didn't see her. His eyes were brought to the front when he heard the Mayor call up Commissioner Jim Gordon.

"I have…written a speech…telling the truth about Harvey Dent. Maybe the time isn't right. Maybe right now all you need to know is that there are one thousand inmates in Blackgate Prison as a direct result of the Dent Act. These are violent criminals, essential cogs in the organized-crime machine. Maybe, for now, all I should say about the death of Harvey Dent is this: It has not been for nothing."

When Gordon was done Bruce turned and walked away. After tonight he believed he would never see Makenna again, and it was his fault. However, he was unaware that half way around the world something dangerous was brewing, and it involved Makenna.

~M~

Makenna stood outside of the plane, hands tied behind her back as a vehicle made their way towards them. The CIA operative in front of her had taken her into custody after she was found in the last known location of the mercenary Bane. She cursed to herself as she allowed them to tie her hands and take her to their plane. All they were waiting for was Dr. Pavel, the man Makenna had been looking for. The vehicle came to a stop as a man stepped out and approached them. His eyes wandered over to Makenna and furrowed. She lifted an eyebrow as the man averted his eyes from her. Makenna tuned the three men out as they spoke but she perked up when she heard them mention Bane's name. The operative standing beside her harshly pushed her forward onto the plane followed by the three bagged men.

As they entered the plane Makenna was pushed into a nearby seat as the men knelt down next to her, the closest one almost touching her. The plane took off and they were in the air on their way back to the agency. Makenna closed her eyes as she tried to shimmy her hands free of their bindings, but no luck.

"The flight plan I just filed with the agency lists me, my men, Dr. Pavel here, this woman, but only one of you!"

The planes door was opened as one of the captured men was dragged toward it and hung out. Makenna went back to work trying to free her hands while the men were preoccupied.

"First one to take gets to stay on my aircraft! Who paid you to grab Dr. Pavel?" When the man didn't answer Makenna looked over at the sound of a gunshot, but the man was still on the plane. She quickly looked away and continued.

"He didn't fly so good! Who wants to try next? Tell me about Bane! Why does he wear the mask? A lot of loyalty for a hired gun!"

Makenna had her hands free but froze when the man next to her spoke. The harsh metallic breathing she had heard earlier was coming from him.

"Well, perhaps he's wondering why someone would shoot a man before throwing him out of a plane."

"At least you can talk. Who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who we are. What matters is our plan." With that being said the CIA operative reached forward and removed the bag from the man's head. Makenna had her eyes glued to the well-built man beside her as the bag was removed. Her eyes widened when she saw the mask around his face, Bane. At long last she finally found him but she couldn't do anything here, at least not yet.

"No one care who I was till I put on the mask." Bane said.

"If I pull that off, will you die?"

"It would be extremely painful."

"You're a big guy."

"For you."

Makenna turned to look out the window as the two talked. She carefully hid her freed hands from view. The last thing she needed was to start a fight in the air. As the two continued their conversation Makenna started working on a plan to escape once they were back state side. She knew the CIA was the best, but she was better. Her thoughts were set aside when Bane's voice sent a chill down her spine at his last words.

"Crashing this plane."

That's when all hell broke loose. Bane glanced over at Makenna for a split second as they shared a silent conversation. Before anyone had time to react, Makenna ducked down into the seat as gunfire broke the plane windows and men hung from cables outside. Bane was up on his feet quicker than Makenna thought he could move and punched the CIA agent. Makenna sat up when she felt the plane's tail being pulled upward. She held onto the seat for dear life unsure as to what was about to happen. She was soon joined by Bane as he swung onto the seat next to her.

"And who might you be?" Bane asked.

"No one of importance." She simply replied. "I'll tell you when you get me off this damn plane"

"A woman such as you shouldn't use words like that. It's unbecoming."

Makenna snorted and looked away. "I'm not your average woman."

Bane didn't say a word. He just stared at her for a moment longer before turning back to the job at hand. As he held onto the seat he swung out and easily fell to the seats below. Makenna quickly reacted when the top of the plane blew open. She looked down at the men and watched as one reached for his gun and began to shoot. Gunfire from above had her pulling herself from the seats edge so as not to be hit.

"Shit…" she muttered to herself as men were being lowered down. Her eyes landed on the black body bag they brought with them. Before she knew what was happening Pavel was lifted up with one of Bane's men. Worried Makenna looked over the side of the seat just as Bane reached her. He motioned her forward and had her wrap her arms around his neck. She watched as he pulled a button from his pocket and pressed it. Soon they were in open air being lifted into another plane when she felt herself slipping. Bane wrapped an arm around her middle to stop her and she looked up. She had to get away from him and back to Gotham and soon. She had a bad feeling that's where Bane was headed.

* * *

~M~

Alright here is the first chapter, I know it's short but it's only the first one. I wasn't too sure where I wanted to end this and I thought here would be a good idea. Don't worry though, I am working on chapter two as we speak and I may just have it posted later today. Hope you all enjoyed!


	2. Chapter 2

I just have one word to say…Wow! I am amazed to see some of the regulars from We Own the Night already reviewing this story! It makes me so happy, and I just want to apologize for the long wait for this! I'm going to do my best to update this story every chance I get. Now to answer and thank all of my lovely reviewers!

Highlander348: Of course she's still a better fighter and with Batman not fighting crime the last eight years she has learned a few new tricks. However, those will be revealed later on. As for the scenes where Makenna set Batman straight I am not sure if there will be many of them since this one is a more serious story line. I might try and squeeze something in. : )

Babygurl1944: Hope you like this chapter! :D

Atiketook: Thanks! Glad you like it!

QueenDollyDaydream: Woo! I am glad to have this up and going! Hope you enjoy!

Guest: I promise there will be more scenes with Makenna and Bane interacting. I just hope I can write Bane correctly. Ha-ha.

Now that those are out of the way (this has to be the longest introduction I've written in a while! Holy crap!) I shall let you proceed onto the next chapter! Hope everyone enjoys and don't forget to let me know what you thought!

Disclaimer: I only own Makenna.

~M~

* * *

The transport plane Bane and his men controlled was close to the States. Makenna shifted in her window seat as she set her eyes on Gotham. It had been a while since she had last been in the city and she had to admit, she missed it. Makenna took her eyes away from the window as someone sat down beside her. Bane and Makenna stared at one another for a moment seeing who would be the first one to look away. Unfortunately it was Makenna who had to turn away first. She silently cursed to herself to not let the masked man frighten her. She had dealt with many criminals in her life time to not be afraid of one mercenary; even if he was the most notorious of them all. From her time overseas, Makenna remembered that Bane's name was whispered in hushed tones as if he would appear from the shadows.

"You never told me your name." Bane said making Makenna jump.

"Sorry?" she replied confused.

"If I got you off that plane you would tell me who you are, so I am asking, what is your name?"

Makenna hesitated, unsure if she should tell him her real name or one of the fake ones she used. She glanced up at Bane and from the look in his eyes she would be sorry if she lied.

"You may call me Makenna."

The duo was silent as Bane eyed Makenna closely. She didn't move as she felt Bane's eyes roam over her taking her in. At first glance she knew she didn't look like much, what with her ripped blue jeans, black combat boots and black short sleeved shirt, but she knew better. Bane stood up and walked away causing Makenna to raise an eyebrow in question. She thought about standing up and following him, but she didn't need to be thrown out of a plane when she was so close to home. She watched as Bane disappeared to the front of the plane. An uneasy gut feeling had Makenna worried. Bane must have found out something about her that she wasn't aware of, but she had made sure to cover her tracks. Or so she believed.

The curtain blocking the view from the front of the plane blew forward as two of Bane's men approached her. Makenna looked to her left out the window to see that they were over the ocean and not that far away from shore. She then looked to her right at the exit and then back to the men approaching. Quickly making up her mind Makenna went for the exit door and opened it. The wind blew her off slightly but she quickly regained her footing. The men stumbled as the wind blew through the plane. The sound of more men entering the back of the plane put Makenna on high alert. Makenna's eyes traveled to the tall hulking figure of Bane. They stared at each other again, but it didn't last long as Makenna looked away. She took a deep breath before jumping out of the plane.

Before she hit the water, Makenna straightened her legs and placed her arms at her sides and plummeted feet first. The cold water penetrated through Makenna's clothing as she hit the water. She quickly pushed herself to the surf and took a deep breath of air. The plane didn't stop moving as Makenna looked up at it. She surveyed her surroundings and calculated how long it would approximately take her to reach land. Once she had made up her mind, Makenna started swimming for land and knew she had to get to either Bruce or Gordon. It seemed doomsday was quickly approaching.

~M~

Alfred entered the Batcave for the first time in years. When the floor became a ramp he was level with a dark slate obelisks and a bridge leading over the water to where Bruce sat in front of a computer.

"You haven't been down here in a long time." Alfred said approaching the computer.

"Just trying to find out more about our jewel thief. I ran her prints from the photos she handled, but she was wearing someone else's fingerprints. She's good." Bruce said holding up the picture of a male armed-robbery suspect.

"She may be, but we have the trace on the necklace."

"We do, so I cross-referenced the address she went back to with police data on high-end B-and-E's. Selina Kyle. The databases are full of close calls, tips from fences…She's good, but the ground is shrinking beneath her feet." Bruce said.

The two were completely unaware of the hidden figure in one of the corners. Makenna listened as they continued to talk about Selina Kyle, the infamous thief. That's one cat fight Makenna didn't want to get involved in.

"What was she after?" Alfred asked.

"My fingerprints. There was a printer toner mixed with graphite on the sage. Gives you a good pull, and it's untraceable."

"Fascinating. Maybe you should exchange notes over coffee."

"Now you're trying to set me up with a jewel thief?"

"At this point, sir, I would set you up with a chimpanzee if I thought it would bring you back into the world."

"There's nothing out there for me."

"And that's the problem. You hung up the cape and cowl, but never moved on. You won't get out there and find a life. Find someone…"

"I did find someone, Alfred." Bruce bitterly said.

"I know. And then you lost them. You pushed her away, the one person that loved you. And you two were happy. Makenna was good for you, she had your best interest at heart and it destroyed her to see you shut her and the world out. It amazes me she put up with it as long as she did. Not a day goes by do I think about her and what she had done for you in your seclusion. She's the one that helped keep the Wayne family name up top. You owe her more than you know."

Bruce looked down at the mention of Makenna's name. His mind always wandered to her and she invaded his dreams. He regrets letting her go without fighting for her to stay. He failed her and everything she taught him. If he could go back and change things he would, but it was too late.

Makenna had followed the two back into the manor and listened to their conversation. However, when they started talking about her she had to hold back tears. Alfred always took time out of his day to make sure was alright every day and night. It was because of him that she stayed instead of just disappearing when she originally planned. She wanted to show herself but she felt Alfred wasn't finished telling Bruce the truth and he needed to hear it. They both had to know that she would always be there for them even if they don't realize it.

"Remember when I left Gotham? Before all this. Before Batman. Seven years you were gone. Seven years I waited. Hoping that you wouldn't come back. Every year I took my holiday. I'd go to Florence. There's a café by the Arno…Any fine evening I would sit there and order a Fernet Branca…I had a fantasy. I liked to imagine one day that I'd look across the tables and see you. Sitting there with your wife. Perhaps some kids. You wouldn't say anything to me, or me to you, but we'd both know…that you'd made it. That you were happy. I never wanted you to come back to Gotham. I knew there was nothing there for you but pain and tragedy, and I wanted more for you than that. I still do. I'm sure Makenna thought the same thing. I hoped it was you and her I saw at that table. As happy and carefree as you both were before this."

Makenna watched as Alfred left Bruce to his thoughts. She wiped away the tears that ran down her cheeks and took a deep calming breath. Maybe now wasn't the right time to show herself, but with one look at Bruce she knew he was hurting. And she was the only one to help fix that. She would wait until morning to show herself, but first she had some research to do.

~M~

The following morning when Alfred walked out of the kitchen and into the living room he stopped. Lying curled up on the couch was Makenna. He set the tray down on the table and smiled at her sleeping form and pulled the blanket over her.

"It's good to have you back." Alfred whispered before picking the tray up and heading upstairs.

After Alfred had delivered Bruce his breakfast he excused himself and went back downstairs. He went to check in on Makenna and found her sitting up collecting the scattered papers. Alfred bent down and helped her catching her off guard.

"Hello Alfred. I hope you don't mind me staying here…" she said softly.

Alfred smiled, "As far as I know you still own this place and live here with Master Wayne."

Makenna smiled and hugged him. "Thank you…for everything."

"It's my pleasure Makenna. I think someone would like to see you." He said motioning his head toward the stairs.

"Are you sure it's alright?"

Alfred nodded as he helped Makenna up and handed her the papers. She thanked him again and smiled before throwing the papers away. Her eyes lingered on the staircase before she forced herself to walk up them. One by one she took the steps as she slid her hand along the banister every step of the way as memories came back to her. When she reached the top step she headed straight to Bruce's room, their room. Makenna stopped outside of the door and hesitated. She didn't know whether to knock or just walk in. She settled for the first option. She knocked three times and listened to the movement on the other side of the door. It was soon pulled open and Bruce froze upon seeing Makenna. Neither said a word as they stared at each other. Makenna shifted her weight from her left leg to her right and gave a small smile.

"Hello, Bruce…" she said.

"Makenna…" Bruce replied.

* * *

~M~

Please let me know what you think! I'll start to work on the next chapter tomorrow, but it may not be posted until midafternoon on Friday. I sadly have to work.


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